Yesterday afternoon, Facilities & Campus Services announced it will be postponing domestic water shutoffs and fire pump work originally scheduled for Thursday, to Monday, Sept. 29, in a campus-wide email late this afternoon.

The announcement comes after students in Boylston’s Piano Row residence hall reported experiencing a domestic water shutoff, where no running water was available in a given building, early Thursday morning at approximately 12 a.m. Such a shutoff was not scheduled for Piano Row residents until Tuesday at 12 a.m., according to a Facilities email from Sept. 23.

“Early this morning, some residents experienced a temporary water disruption,” Thursday’s email said. “Our Facilities team investigated immediately and learned that the City’s contractor inadvertently shut off the water.”

Beacon reporters in Piano Row also observed brown and yellow water coming from tap fixtures and shower heads once water service was reconnected later Thursday morning. Facilities noted that this was a result of sediment discharges that occurred during the shutoff.

“When water service is shut off, older pipes can release sediment and minerals, which can make the water appear dark or cloudy,” Facilities wrote in the email. “This issue is resolved, and the water is now clear and safe to use. The contractor issued an immediate apology for this inconvenience.”

In a new email sent to the community Friday afternoon, Facilities wrote that “It is common to see temporarily discolored water following a water shutoff due to sediment and rust that settles in the pipes. If this occurs, please allow your water to run until it clears.”

According to the revised schedule, Piano Row, 2 Boylston Place, Walker Building, and Colonial Building will all experience domestic water shutoffs from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 29, Facilities confirmed in a statement to The Beacon. Additionally, Piano Row will experience a fire pipe shutdown on Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 9:00 p.m. to Thursday, Oct. 2, at 5:00 a.m. In a previous email, Facilities wrote that the Boston Fire Department will remain on site during fire pipe  shutdowns to ensure safety. 2 Boylston Place underwent a successful fire pipe shutdown on Wednesday evening, Facilities confirmed in their statement.

“We know late changes to scheduled work can be frustrating, but projects of this size sometimes require adjustments,” the email said, adding that another update will be shared on Monday afternoon.

This update has been edited to include further schedule adjustments from an email on Friday, Sept. 26.

Throughout the late night and early morning on Wednesday, Sept. 24, Thursday, Sept. 26, and next Tuesday, Sept. 30, various campus residential and academic buildings along Boylston St. will experience multi-hour water service shutdowns as part of ongoing water main replacement construction, Facilities and Campus Services announced in a community-wide email yesterday.

The email announced two kinds of service shutdowns that will affect various campus buildings along a stretch from Tremont to Boylston St. this week: Domestic Water Shutdowns, which will result in no running water, and Fire Pipe Shutdowns, which will temporarily take fire protection systems offline. 

To ensure safety, the Boston Fire Department will be on site monitoring throughout the outages, the email said. The outages will affect Ansin Building, Colonial Building, 2 Boylston Place, and Piano Row, as well as some non-campus buildings along Boylston.

According to the email, progress will remain weather-dependent and subject to change if conditions require.

Here is a summary of the outages that will affect on-campus residents:

2 Boylston Place:

The 2 Boylston Place Residence Hall will experience a Fire Pipe Shutdown from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, it will undergo a Domestic Water Shutdown from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Colonial Building 

Colonial Building and its residence hall will experience a Domestic Water Shutdown from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Thursday and a Fire Pipe Shutdown from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Thursday. Additionally, Walker Building will experience both of the same shutdowns at the same times.

Piano Row

Piano Row and its residence hall will experience a Domestic Water Shutdown from 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, and a Fire Pipe Shutdown from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30. Ansin Building will also have a Domestic Water Shutdown during the same hours.

“We recognize that these service impairments may cause inconvenience, and we deeply appreciate your patience and flexibility as this essential work is completed,” Facilities wrote in the email to students. “Our Facilities team and project partners are working diligently to maintain safety and minimize disruptions throughout the process.”

Since construction began last week, jersey barriers have been erected along Boylston to cordon off the construction, which has opened up sidewalks for pipe access.

According to the latest Facilities update, work on the project, including jackhammering and the use of excavators, is restricted to the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., with quiet work observed between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. 

“This schedule reflects the City’s effort to balance construction needs with the well-being of our campus community and neighbors,” the email wrote.

A tracker of project completion status on the Boston Water and Sewage Commission Website remains at 0% as of Wednesday night.

During the next two months, water access may be disrupted for some residents living in Piano Row, Colonial, and Little Building, as well as in other campus academic buildings along Boylston Street, as part of a city-sponsored water main replacement project.

Preliminary construction by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to replace two aging water mains along Boylston Street will begin on Monday, Sept. 15, Emerson Facilities Management informed students in a community email last Thursday.

“This is essential work that will modernize and protect Boston’s water system,” said the announcement. The email was sent early Thursday evening, less than 12 hours before the first water service disruption, part of a routine valve test, began.

All sidewalks along Boylston Street will remain open, though some walkways may be temporarily narrowed, and jersey barriers will be installed for safety during open construction. Students can also expect to experience “a brief shutdown (four to five hours) as service is transferred to temporary above-ground pipes,” according to the email. 

It continued, “These shutdowns will be scheduled overnight at the least disruptive times, and advance notice will be provided to allow for planning. While unforeseen issues may arise, the City will coordinate directly with us to minimize impacts.” 

The preliminary work, beginning Monday, will include the moving in and staging of pipe along Boylston Street between the Carver Street and Tremont Street intersections near Piano Row. Full construction work is scheduled to start on Sept. 22, and the City is aiming to complete the project by mid-November, with limited additional work taking place in February 2026, Facilities wrote. According to the email, work will be conducted on Monday and Thursday evenings between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., starting Sept. 22. 

The email also emphasized the college’s commitment to providing timely updates as specific dates and building impacts are confirmed.

“While we fully support this important investment in public infrastructure, we also recognize that the project will bring temporary disruptions, particularly at night when most of the work is scheduled,” it said. “We understand how essential rest, safety, and uninterrupted study time are to our community, and we will continue to advocate for those needs throughout the project.”

Last Friday morning, as part of a routine valve test to confirm which valves would successfully close and hold during the upcoming phases of work, all campus residential and academic buildings along Boylston Street, as well as the Ansin Building, underwent a planned water service disruption at 4 a.m. lasting roughly 45 minutes.

The testing was completed “without incident,” Facilities wrote in a statement to the Beacon. “The execution of the watermain gate testing has provided BWSC & RJV with the necessary information to properly manage the upcoming overnight water main removal and replacement with minimal disruption,” the statement continued.

Additional information on the water main project is available at Emerson’s website and Boston Water and Sewer Commission website, which lists contact information for project managers as well as a project completion tracker, currently at zero percent.

The email announcement also encouraged those with questions or comments to reach out to the BWSC 24-hour emergency line (617-989-7900) or to the Facilities Department and Office of Government & Community Affairs (617-824-8299 or 617-824-8984) at Emerson.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding as Boston undertakes this necessary improvement,” the email announcement concluded. “With collaboration and preparation, we are confident that the project will be completed efficiently and with as little disruption to our campus life as possible.”